A special Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act (MCOCA) court has framed charges against five persons, including the two alleged shooters, in the 2024 firing outside actor Salman Khan’s Bandra residence.

The development marks the formal start of trial proceedings.

Judge Mahesh Jadhav framed charges against Vicky Kumar Gupta, Sagar Kumar Pal, Sonu Kumar Bishnoi, Rafiq Sardar Choudhari and Harpal Singh after they pleaded not guilty.

Gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, his brother Anmol Bishnoi and Ravtaram Swami have been named as wanted accused.

According to investigators, Vicky Gupta and Sagar Pal allegedly opened fire outside Galaxy Apartment in the early hours of 14 April, 2024. Gupta and Pal, along with Sonukumar Bishnoi, Choudhary and Harpal Singh, are in judicial custody.

Another accused, Anujkumar Thapan, died by alleged suicide while in police custody.

The charge order states that the arrested accused, along with those absconding, were part of a criminal conspiracy and members of an organised crime syndicate headed by Lawrence Bishnoi under MCOCA definitions.

They “agreed with a common objective to do an illegal act — which was to commit the murder of the victim by use of firearms and to create terror in the minds of the citizens of Mumbai city for establishing supremacy,” the order said.

The court noted that Singh relayed information collected by Choudhary, who had allegedly conducted a recce of the actor’s home, to the wanted accused. It further records that Bishnoi provided weapons and ammunition to Gupta and Pal, who then fired at the residence “with the intention to kill him.”

Based on these findings, the court held that each accused had allegedly committed offences under the IPC for criminal conspiracy and attempt to murder, along with relevant MCOCA provisions.

Lawrence Bishnoi is currently lodged in an Ahmedabad jail, while his brother Anmol was recently deported from the United States and remains in NIA custody in another case.